Niek

New album: Mythical Motors || A Rare Look Ahead

By / / Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych / 1 Comment

When Robert Pollard looks in his rearview mirror it’s likely he will see Mythical Motors. Mythical Motors is a four-piece from Chattanooga, Tennessee and their latest release A Rare Look Ahead is the band’s 15th (!) album. The prolific songwriting and album releasing is not the only link between Mythical Motors and Guided By Voices. A chance encounter between Matt Addison and Brad Smith at the very first Robert Pollard solo show in 2006 led to the start of Mythical Motors. Mike Brown joined on bass soon after, and it took some line up changes before the band settled on Johnny Wingo as 2nd guitarist. Sonically, the gbv-fi is strong as well. A Rare Look Ahead has twenty (!) songs, and the indie rock of Mythical Motors is straightforward, up tempo and lo-fi.

And yet, in spite of all these similarities, it would be selling the band short to project them as mere copycats of GBV. In fact, the songs on A Rare Look Ahead harbor many influences, including The Clean, Wire, R.E.M, Superchunk, and the C-86 scene. The songs are short, and filled with hooks and poppy melodies. That pop sensibility has a strong ’80s vibe. Underground pop that is. Overall, the songs display more vulnerability than the typical GBV record.

If you are like me, by the end of the record you will be siked to take another trip alongside Mythical Motors. And yeah, I know, way too much motor vehicle references in this post. Sorry…But really, give this one a spin.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Wine Lips || Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party

By / / Garage Rock, Psych, Punk / 1 Comment

Wine Lips are a garage rock band from Toronto featuring Cam Hilborn (Guitar and Vocals), Aurora Evans (Drums), Jordan Sosensky (Guitar) and Charlie Weare (Bass). Their latest release features some of the coolest artwork i’ve seen lately, but their music is pretty sick as well. Wine Lips play a modern form of garage, psych and indie punk that sounds fresh yet familiar. Fans of Fidlar, Audacity, Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall should definitely take note of this record.

Most songs on Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party are hyperactive, and soaked in buzzsaw guitars and shrieky vocals. But there are also welcome variations on that sound, such as Mall Walker, a song that is slower paced and has a lot of swagger. One of the most interesting songs on the record is the 7-minute trip Suffer The Joy. It’s like a jam session, but one that doesn’t lose focus, builds up tension and provides cathartic release.

When a band manages to capture the level of energy on tape as Wine Lips, I can only imagine how exciting these songs will be in a live setting. Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party is out now on Stomp Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Stomp Records

New album: Rural France || RF

By / / Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / 2 Comments

I cannot emphasize enough how much I appreciate labels that consistently release terrific records. It is worth a great deal when you get excited whenever a label announces a new release, when you can blindly rely on a label’s good taste. Take Spanish label Meritorio Records. The label’s batting average in 2021 is off the charts. Basically, all of their recent releases are worth your money (i.e., Wurld Series, The Telephone Numbers, Monnone Alone, Real Numbers, Stephen’s Shore).

Meritorio’s latest homerun is the debut LP (RF) from Rural France, a duo (Tom Brown and Rob Fawkes) that actually lives in Rural England (Wiltshire). Rural France plays ’60s pop disguised as ’90s slacker indie rock. The guitars are fuzzy and jangly, and the lo-fi songs are short and forward moving. Oh, and there is the occasional synth lick saying hi, how are you. If you are looking for 25 minutes of worriless escapism powered by solid songwriting, look no further than RF. What I like most about this release is how coherent and accomplished it is as a full album. Usually, it’s easy to pick out the highlights of a record, but this one I would actually recommend listening in full. And the record still keeps getting better with each listen, despite being accessible right from the bat.

For some reason, it took Rural France (“The hardest working, nineties-influenced indie rock band in West Wiltshire”) several years to record and release RF. “The songs were mostly written during the heatwave of 2018, spurred on by Beach Boys bootlegs and a World Cup. Half-drunk on the sun and Brian Wilson’s genius, I’d make the short journey from the garden to my guitar to try and get down some vague ideas that were forming in the haze of that sweltering suburban summer,” Brown explains. Not sure if it had any influence on the band name or the songwriting, but France won that 2018 World Cup.

So yeah, Meritorio hit another one out of the park. And (spoiler alert) the next one is coming soon (Semi Trucks, out November 26).



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Meritorio Records

New single: The Unknowns || Monster Mash

By / / Garage Rock, Punk / 1 Comment

Straight from The Sunshine Coast of Australia come The Unknowns. The three-piece deliver compilation ready primal garage rock’n’roll nuggets on their latest 7″ single Monster Mash. Of all the Halloween themed releases that are catapulted into the airwaves lately – a trend which I personally could care less about, this is the one that made it straight onto the wantlist. IT WAS A MASH! A MONSTER MASH!


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Right Here || Northern Town

By / / Country & Folk, Punk / Leave a Comment

Twang is one of those concepts that is easily ascribed to a certain sound, but much harder to explain what it actually entails. In a literal sense, twang is “the resonant sound produced when a tense string is sharply plucked or suddenly released.” In another definition it’s described as “an ill sound in one’s pronunciation.” Twang is also associated with the sound of the Telecaster guitar, particularly when played relatively fast. Twang is usually associated with country artists, but is also frequently used to describe punkrock bands that have a rootsy, all-american sound with heartfelt vocals and countrified storytelling. Think The Gaslight Anthem, Think Dave Hause. Think Lucero. Think Arliss Nancy.

Minneapolis band The Right Here, who just released their fourth record Northern Town on Rum Bar Records, easily slide into that list. Thematically as well as musically:  “Northern Town represents our best attempt so far at capturing the tug of war between comfort and restlessness, home and the road, leavin’ and stayin’,” the band explains.

The Right Here serve up anthemic and honest rock-‘n’-roll songs like it’s all they’ve ever been doing. Northern Town is an easy record to fall for, with enough grit and pace to rile in the punk kids, and enough sonic depth to keep the americana crowd interested. And with songs like Here We Go Again, Every Once In A While and Good Luck Trying, The Right Here have the fist pumping, head bopping anthems to sway bars and venues around the globe.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New EP: Foyer Red || Zigzag Wombat

By / / Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Uncategorized / 1 Comment

Brooklynites Elana Riordan, Marco Ocampo and Mitch Myers make up Foyer Red, a band unafraid of playing at different frequencies and wandering untrodden paths. If you think Zigzag Wombat is kind of a weird title, wait until you hear the complex controlled chaos that is Foyer Red’s music. I am absolutely infatuated with EP opener Fribbe, a song that opens with 35 seconds of a jazz trumpet, but then transcends into a weirdly effective mix of mathcore and tweepunk. Perhaps Twee Math is the best description of the six songs on Zigzag Wombat. Fribbe alone is worth the purchase of this EP, but the other songs offer just as much excitement.

Zigzag Wombat is the perfect remedy for cynical music fans complaining about the lack of surprise or innovative ideas in present day guitar music. For those less cynical, Foyer Red offers a reminder of the rush of discovering exciting new music and why it always pays off to keep hunting for new music.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Teddy Grey || The Great Failed Romances Of The Twentieth Century

By / / Alternative Rock, Funk & Soul, Glam Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Power Pop, Punk / Leave a Comment

There are worse, much worse ideas for a concept album than The Great Failed Romances Of The Twentieth Century. It’s the focus of an ambitious project by NY based artist Teddy Grey. Grey picked and wrote songs about 30 celebrity romances that went wrong, including iconic couples (Sid & Nancy, Hepburn & Tracy, Ike & Tina, Sonny & Cher, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks), but also weird ones (Vanilla Ice & Madonna), and romances that may not have actually occured (Monroe & JFK, Brando & Dean). An extensive supporting cast of musicians helped out in the recordings.

Part satire, part heartfelt tribute to pop culture history, The Great Failed Romances Of The Twentieth Century is packed with wit and catchy melodies. Musically, the record is all over the place with each song sounding differently, from pop punk to arena rock, from ballads to retro pop, giving the record a theatrical, musical vibe that harbors more than a touch of Weird Al Yankovich as well. Consequently, the record can be hit or miss depending on your taste. Put differently, you are unlikely to care for all 84 minutes of the record, but there will be a little bit for everyone. It’s no surprise that Grey describes his music as “Rock N Roll McDonalds.”

Highlights for me are the Sid & Nancy jam There’s Nothing That I Love (But You Come Close), Unwritten Gay Romantic History (Greta & Mercedes), Little Black Book (James & Marlon), and Letters (Virginia & Vita). Cool concept, fun tunes.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Farewell Horizontal || You’re Not An Empath

By / / Indie Rock, Jangle Pop / Leave a Comment

Melbourne duo Farewell Horizontal return with their second album of 2021 (and third in total) – more on their previous record here. Like their previous record, You’re Not An Empath again is short but sweet, and filled with quality indie rock and jangle pop. Farewell Horizontal is a band that values integrity and is full of heart and empathy: They again will donate most, if not all of the sales of the record to worthy causes. The band likes to stay away from the traps of social media and have their own website to communicate and connect. That website is worth a visit, and I recommend listening to You’re Not An Empath while reading the band’s backstory for each of the songs. Another strong record by an underrated band.

I give up trying to be interesting || yeah I give up taking interests in things that I don’t like || All these paintings are just junk || everyone’s a pretentious drunk || Unless you’ve got some ideas || I give up || Yeah, I give up



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Exbats || Now Where Were We

By / / Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Power Pop, Psych, Punk / 1 Comment

Last month, I read how music writers were already compiling their Album Of The Year lists. It was only September…crazy right? I guess that’s how it works if you are a serious music writer. The advantage of having your own outlet is that you don’t have to worry about deadlines and you can postpone working on year-end lists just a little longer. But my general inclination towards procrastination is not the main reason for waiting out on the AOTY list. It’s simply because there will always be late contenders entering the competition.

Now Where Were We by The Exbats is a primary example. The Exbats are daughter-father duo Inez & Kenny McLain on drums/vocals and guitar/vocals, and Bobby Carlson Jr. on bass. Now Where Were is the The Exbats third album. It is built on the same effective template as their previous albums: Scrappy and honest ’60s pop rounded out by influences from ’70s powerpop and punk, garage and bubblegum pop and blue-eyed soul. Kinda like The Mamas & The Papas x The Shangri-Las x The Archies x The Ramones. Though subtle, the music of The Exbats has steadily been evolving, and I don’t think the band has ever sounded better. The songs on Now Where Were We have more depth, diversity and better harmonies than on their previous outings; The result of a more deliberate and more extensive period of songwriting. What hasn’t changed: The Exbats still sound insanely catchy, with memorable choruses you will sing along to in no time.

I have seldom exclaimed listening to my new favorite song by a band on their third album. I think it happened at least 3 or 4 times with Now Where Were We: Coolsville USA, Practice On Me, Best Kiss, and Hey New Zealand are all instant classics. Let me tell you, when one of the funnest bands of this era release their best work yet, you’d better create  some room to update your AOTY lists.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs

New single: Sillicone Values || Streaming TV b​/​w Nothing Wrong With Me

By / / Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Punk / 1 Comment

Bristol (UK) postpunk/indiepop hybrid Sillicone Values make a deliberate attempt of showing how little they care on their latest single. They don’t care if they sound like other bands. And, they explicitly mention that they recorded the two songs “without due care or attention.” They probably could care less if anyone listens to these songs, let alone write about them. I am not sure whether the four-piece is too cool to care or whether it genuine disinterest. Unfortunately, I like these two too much not to share. Streaming TV and Nothing Wrong With Me are a time capsule to the underground pop scene in ’80s UK. The only reason I’m sure this is in fact a present day band is that they sing about only feeling safe when they are streaming tv.


Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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